LAFAYETTE-Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball team dropped to 1-1 overall on the season as they lost a 4-2 decision to the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday afternoon at Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin’ Cajuns Softball Park. 

The Cajuns held a 2-1 lead through four innings, but a costly three-run error in the fifth inning gave Ole Miss a 4-2 lead that they would not relinquish. 

UL out hit the Rebels 6-to-5 on the afternoon, but were unable to generate enough runs for the win.  The Cajuns left nine runners on base stranding seven players in scoring position. 

Louisiana was led offensively by Melissa Verde.  The junior third baseman finished the day 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI.  Verde was the only Cajuns’ player with an extra base hit, doubling to left center field in the fifth inning. 

Katie Smith also collected multiple hits for the Cajuns, finishing the day with two hits and a run scored. 

The loss overshadowed a stellar pitching performance by junior Brittany Cuevas.  The Brazoria, Texas native scattered five hits in seven innings allowing just one earned run.  Cuevas fanned four batters on the afternoon, surrendering three walks. 

The seven innings pitched for Cuevas was her longest outing since tossing 7.1 innings on May 19, 2007 against Sam Houston State at the NCAA College Station Regional. 

The Rebels were the first to scratch the scoreboard.  In the third inning, Ole Miss led off the inning with a double just inside the left field line.  A ground out moved the runner to within 60 feet of home.  A seeing-eye single plated the runner and gave the Rebels a 1-0 edge. 

The Cajuns answered in the bottom of the third inning.  Smith led off the inning with a single through the middle.  Karli Hubbard moved the runner with a sacrifice hit.  Verde hit a single through the right side to plate Smith and knot the score at 1-1.  With runners on first and second and two outs, Lana Bowers appeared to pop up to the shortstop to end the inning.  However, the umpire called the two teams back to the field as he called an illegal pitch on Ole Miss’ pitcher.  With runners now on second and third because of the illegal pitch, the Rebel pitcher’s next pitch was wild, allowing Verde to score safely from third, giving the Cajuns a 2-1 advantage. 

Ole Miss used three unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Cali Overbeck singled to second base to start the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.  An illegal pitch moved the runner to third base and back-to-back walks loaded the bases.  With two outs and the bases loaded, the Rebels plated three runners thanks to a Cajuns’ throwing error. 

The Cajuns stranded runners in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, thwarting a possible comeback. 

The Ragin’ Cajuns will close out the three-game series with Ole Miss on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

-www.RaginCajuns.com-